1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to regulating and controlling browsing by a web browser of web pages having various assigned contents and/or content labels and in particular to provide selective, multiple, and various programmed settings of restricted content labels for web pages and providing content passwords to allow or prohibit browsing of web pages with particular contents and/or content labels and providing a change password for changing the programmed settings of the restricted content labels and the content passwords.
2. Description of the Related Art
Browsing of web pages has become commonplace in the use of computers and the Internet. The problem with web browsers have been the regulation and control of viewing various types of web page contents having different ratings over the Internet. For example, web pages containing indecent or foul language, nudity, sex, or violence have become an increasing concern to Internet users. The problem is of particular concern to minors or sensitive persons browsing web pages with these kinds of content.
Systems and methods have been developed to provide regulation, control, and restriction of browsing web content materials. A general system and method that presently exists is one that involves assigning content labels to web pages and restricting access to web pages that have certain content labels. For example, if a web page contains nudity, then this web page would be assigned a nudity content label. The web browser is set up so that content labels, such as the nudity content label, is restricted from viewing, and the web browser prohibits the access of any web page having the nudity content label. The programmed setting of the web browser would have to be changed in order to allow access of web pages with such content. Typically, a password would have to be correctly provided to the web browser in order to change the single programmed setting to allow access of web pages with such content or web pages with other or various types of content labels with other content ratings.
FIGS. 2 to 4 show a prior art example system and method that utilizes a single programmed setting for restricting content labels and a single password for a web browser to change the programmed setting in order to regulate and control browsing of web content by a user. FIG. 2 shows the prior art overall web browsing system 10. The system 10 has a web browser 12. At block 14, the single programmed setting is set with the content labels that are to be restricted from access by a web browser and user. In FIG. 2, the programmed setting is set so that restricted content labels having contents 1 and 2 are restricted from access by the browser 12 and web pages having any other content or content label, such as content 3 (C3) or non-password protected content (NPPC), are accessible by the browser 12. At block 14, the single change password that allows access by a user to change the single programmed setting for restricted content labels of web pages is provided and set. At block 16, web page access is shown. In FIG. 2, the web browser 12 is programmed and set (via use of the correct single change password and setting of the single programmed setting of restricted content labels) to restrict access to web page 1 (WP1) 18 having a content label with content 1 (C1) and web page 2 (WP2) 20 having a content label with content 2 (C2) and allows access to any other web page, such as web pages 3 and 4 (WP3 and WP4) each having a content label with content 3 (C3) and web page 5 (WP5) 26 having non-password protected content or content label. Thus, any web page having a content label that is not part of the single programmed setting of restricted content labels is allowed to be accessed by the web browser 12.
FIG. 3 shows the similar overall web browsing system 10 as shown in FIG. 2 wherein a change is made to the single programmed setting for the restricted content labels that are to be restricted in access by a user. System 10 has the same web browser 12. However, at block 15, the single change password is entered, and the single programmed setting for the restricted content labels is respectively changed. At block 15, the single setting for restricted content labels is changed from restrictions to content labels having content 1 and 2 (C1 and C2) to restrictions to only content labels having content 1 (C1 only). At block 16, web page access is shown. In FIG. 3, the web browser 12 is now changed to be programmed and set (via use of the single correct change password and the change in setting of the single programmed setting for the restricted content labels) to restrict the web browser 12 to access only those web pages having content 1 (C1), such as WP118 having content 1 (C1). The single programmed setting of the restricted content labels is also changed to now allow the web browser 12 to access those web pages having content 2 (C2), such as WP2 having content 2 (C2), and all other web pages with all other content or content labels, such as web pages 3 and 4 (WP3 and WP4) each having a content label with content 3 (C3) and web page 5 (WP5) 26 having non-password protected content or content label.
FIG. 4 shows a prior art general method or algorithm 28 for setting a single programmed setting for restricted content labels and for password protecting the web browser content label setting (i.e. the single programmed setting) using a single password. The algorithm 28 starts at block 30. At block 32, a web browser 12 is provided. The algorithm 28 moves to block 34 where a single change password is provided to and assigned for the web browser 12. The single change password allows changes to the single programmed setting of restricted content labels by entering and providing the correct single password to the web browser 12 and then allowing the changes to be made to the single programmed setting for the content labels that are to be restricted in access by the web browser 12 and a user. At block 36, the single programmed setting for restricted content labels that are to be restricted by a web browser 12 and user are set. At block 38, the web browser 12 accesses web pages, such as WP118, WP220, WP322, WP424, WP526, based on the single programmed setting for the restricted content labels.
The algorithm 28 moves to decision block 40 where it is determined whether a user wishes to continue browsing on the web browser 12. If the user wishes to continue browsing, then the algorithm 28 moves to decision block 42. At block 42, it is determined whether a user wishes to change the restricted content labels in the single programmed setting. If the user wishes to make such a change(s), the algorithm 28 loops back to block 34 where the single change password has to be provided to the web browser 12 in order for the change(s) to be accordingly made. The algorithm 28 then continues therefrom. However, if the user does not wish to make such change(s), the algorithm 28 loops to block 38 where the web browser 12 accesses web pages based on the single programmed setting for restricted content labels, and the algorithm 28 then continues therefrom. Returning to decision block 40, if the user wishes to not continue browsing on the web browser 12, then the algorithm 28 ends at block 44. Therefore, the present system and method only provides a single setting of restricted content labels and single password protection scheme of the web browser labels for a web browser 12.
A significant drawback to the single programmed setting for restricted web content labels and single password protection scheme of web browser content labels is that it is limited to the single setting of the restricted content labels and the content rating for all users of the web browser 12. Thus, users of the same web browser 12 may vary in the level of content that they may be able to browse (such as a child would have a much more restrictive content label and rating setting than an adult), but all of the users are limited to the single setting of the restricted content labels and content rating that is presently set for that web browser 12. For example, an adult user may want to use the web browser 12 to browse adult materials, but at the same time, a parent or adult would want to prevent his/her child or children from accessing and browsing these adult materials. If the single programmed setting for the restricted web content labels is set to not allow access to the adult material web sites, then the adult user wanting to use the browser 12 to browse adult materials on such web pages are prevented from doing so.
In order for the adult user to access these web pages with adult materials, the single programmed setting of restricted content labels would have to be changed to allow access of the desired content label(s). The single change password would have to be provided in order to make the change(s) to the programmed settings of the restricted content labels. Thus, if a change in content labels and content rating is required or desired for a user, then a further problem arises in that the single change password has to be divulged to the user or the user has to rely on for the system administrator or person having the password to make the change(s). Therefore, the prior art system and method utilizing the single programmed setting for restricted web content labels and single change password results in limitations and cumbersome and inconvenient situations, and they do not at all provide flexibility to the different types of users. Also, the divulging of the single change password can very well undermine the security of the content restricting system since the password may very well end up in the wrong hands.
It would therefore be advantageous and desirable to have a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which provide selective and multiple programmed settings and passwords for web content labels. It would also be advantageous and desirable to have a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which are not limited to the single setting for restricted web content labels as presently taught and implemented. It would further be advantageous and desirable to have a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which overcome the limitations and problems of having to use only a single password protection scheme of web browser content labels. It would still further be advantageous and desirable to have a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which are easy and convenient to use and which provide flexibility to different types of web browser users that are to be allowed or restricted from access of various types of contents or content labels of web pages. It would still also be advantageous and desirable to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which overcome the limitations, problems, and disadvantages of the prior art.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which provide selective and multiple programmed settings and passwords for web content labels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which are not limited to the single setting for restricted web content labels as presently taught and implemented.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which overcome the limitations and problems of having to use only a single password protection scheme of web browser content labels.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which are easy and convenient to use and which provide flexibility to different types of web browser users that are to be allowed or restricted from access of various types of contents or content labels of web pages.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which overcome the limitations, problems, and disadvantages of the prior art.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A system and method that regulate browsing of web content or content labels which provide selective and multiple programmed settings and passwords for web content labels. The present system and method overcome limitations and problems of prior art systems and methods that utilize only a single programmed setting for restricted web content labels and a single password protection scheme of web browser content labels. The system and method provide flexibility to different types of web browser users that are to be allowed or restricted from access of various types of contents or content labels of web pages. At least some of the web pages are assigned content labels. A web browser is provided. Programmed settings are set for the content labels that are to be password protected. Content passwords are provided wherein each of the content passwords is assigned to each of the programmed settings. A change password is set up to allow any change to the programmed settings and/or the content passwords and/or the change password. Access and display of web pages without any content labels or ratings are strictly denied by the web browser. Access and display of web pages with content labels that are not being regulated are allowed. Access and display of the web pages with the content labels that are password protected are regulated and restricted. The web pages are accessed and displayed based on the programmed settings and correct provision of the content passwords to the web browser. Direct access to same content label pages within password timeout window resets the timer.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.